Vessel Name - Theoline
Class – schooner
Hull - wood
Masts - 4
Build date - 1917
Built by – Francis Cobb Shipbuilding Company
Built at – Rockland, Maine
Built for – Crowell and Thurlow
Home Port 1943 - New York, N. Y.
Owner 1943 - Intercontinental S. S. Lines (N. Y.)
Gross tons - 594
Net tons – 509
Length – 172’
Beam – 34.8’
Depth of hold – 13’
Crew - 7
She was a much-photographed vessel. In 1936, when Berenice Abbott photographed the Theoline, she was the last cargo schooner to unload at the South Street Seaport in New York.
”It has been said that when Capt. John Latty brought coal to the Underwood factory at Bass Harbor in the four mast schooner Theoline, that while approaching the harbor with a Southwest wind, he would reduce sail, and while still making headway drop his anchor. When the anchor fetched up he would pay out chain and as the vessel swung around she would lay right abreast the head of the dock. Capt. Latty also brought cans to the factory from Lubec, where the cans were manufactured.
Capt. Latty kept the Theoline anchored with two anchors at Norwood's Cove when he would lay her up for the winter. During the winter with the tide and wind, the vessel would swing around and twist up the anchor chains. On getting her ready in the spring he would hire Cliff Robbins with his lobster boat to tow the vessel around to clear the twists. One year she had twenty-seven turns. It took all day to clear the chains.
When I was a small boy I would get some one to walk up the road with me to where I could look out across the cove and see the schooner anchored there. At that time there was still a wooden sidewalk on the right hand side of the road out of town at Norwood's Cove.
Capt. Latty started out as cabin boy on my great grandfather, Capt. A. J. Robinson's three mast schooner, the Andrew Nebinger. In 1918 Capt. Latty was Master of the Andrew Nebinger for a short time.
Stories and information from Ralph W. Stanley - 2007
“Probably the last active four-mast schooner to carry ‘Boston’ on her stern was the fine “Theoline,” a vessel of 594 gross tons and 172 feet long. Built in 1917 by F. Cobb at Rockland, Maine, for Crowell and Thurlow, she should not be confused with two earlier vessels of the same name. The first was launched in 1900 in Belfast, and was 587 tons; the second took to the water in 1905, also at Belfast, and was the largest of the three, being 981 tons. The first two did not remain long in the registry.
The maiden voyage of the third “Theoline” took her from Rockland to New York where she loaded coal for Calais, Maine. She then crossed the Atlantic to England with a lumber cargo. At the end of the first World War, the “Theoline” carried on in the coastal trade, from Florida and Georgia to Boston at first, and later to New England ports from the British provinces.
In 1928 she was sold to F.B. McQueston who had also owned the first “Theoline.” However, he did not keep her long for less than a year later she was taken over by C.A.&B.F Small of Machias: they operated her for eleven years. With Captain Latty in command, she ran around from St. John to Halifax where she took on laths for Philadelphia. From there she proceeded to Norfolk, loading coal for Jonesport. Next she entered the Bay of Fundy to pick up pile wood at Apple River, taking it to New York City. Thus she tramped up and down the coast, loading when and where she could find cargoes. When she ad the right wind, she showed that she had a good turn of speed, but more times than not, she fought head winds or calms, adding days to her passages…
…In 1940 Captain Edward Long took over the “Theoline.” By now she was badly run-down; there had been no money for repairs. Steamers had taken over most of her trades, and she had been lucky to get an occasional coal charter, remaining at anchor at Jonesport the rest of the time. Captain Long did what he could for the ship. Not only did he work on her hull, but when he noticed a rotten mainmast, he dug it out, put in new wood, and bound the patch with a steel sleeve. He de-loused the ship so she was perfectly clean; that, in itself was a big undertaking.”
“Captain Edward Long was active up to the end of sail in New England waters. He took the “Theoline” into Quincy in 1941. the last of her type to visit that old port. One winter when the “Theoline” was laid up in Jonesport, Captain Long and his wife together overhauled the four-master’ stern which had taken a decided sag. Putting in two huge turnbuckles, they were able to pull her back into position, correcting the weakening timbers.” - “The Last Sail Downeast” by Giles M.S. Tod, published by Barre Publishers, Barre, Massachusetts, 1965, p. 7
The schooner was sent south to work, but ran into problem after problem, ending up at New Brunswick.
“When finally loaded with 592,000 square feet of wood, the “Theoline” departed for Boston on July 26th. A fresh, fair breeze took her rapidly down the Bay of Fundy, passing Petit Manan 24 hours out. From then on the winds were light. The third and fourth day were spent off Portland. On the fifth day Cape Ann was sighted before the fog closed in.
On August 1st the four-master came to Boston, two tugs towing her up the river to Quincy where she was to discharge. She had been six days, five hours and forty-five minutes from Alma. This was to be the last time the “Theoline” came to her home port…”
Some time in 1942 or later, “deeply loaded, she set out on the long voyage [to Africa.] It was reported that she bumped bottom near Cape Hatteras, but she got off undamaged. However, some weeks later word came from the West Indies that the fine schooner had struck a reef; it was the end of the “Theoline” as she smashed up before aid could come to her.” - “The Last Sail Downeast” by Giles M.S. Tod, published by Barre Publishers, Barre, Massachusetts, 1965, p. 53, 54, 55, 56. The complete story of “Theoline” can be found on these pages – far more than the parts quoted here.
